Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz spaghetti

→ Cheese & Spices

02 - 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated

03 - 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, plus extra for serving

→ Others

04 - Salt for pasta water

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until just al dente, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.

02 - Meanwhile, in a large skillet over low heat, toast the black pepper for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.

03 - Add approximately 1/2 cup of the reserved hot pasta water to the skillet with pepper and let it simmer.

04 - Add drained spaghetti to the skillet and toss to coat in the peppery water.

05 - Gradually sprinkle in the Pecorino Romano, tossing and stirring vigorously until the cheese melts and a creamy sauce forms, adding more reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky texture.

06 - Serve immediately, topped with extra Pecorino Romano and freshly cracked black pepper.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -

It uses only three core ingredients but tastes like you've been cooking all day.
The creamy sauce forms without any cream, just starchy pasta water and good cheese.
It comes together faster than ordering takeout and feels infinitely more satisfying.
Every bite delivers sharp, salty, peppery warmth that makes you slow down and savor it.

02 -

If your heat is too high when you add the cheese, it will clump and turn grainy instead of melting into silk.
Tossing vigorously and adding pasta water slowly are the only ways to coax the cheese into a real emulsion.
Freshly grated cheese is non negotiable because pre grated stuff has anti caking agents that ruin the texture.

03 -